Texas’ Lieutenant Governor Faces Backlash After Saying U.S. Should “Get Back To Work” Despite Covid-19 Risks

Texas’ Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick is saying that the U.S. should get back to work in the face of the global pandemic and that people over the age of 70, who the Centers for Disease Control says are at higher risk for the coronavirus, will “take care of ourselves.”

Patrick, 69, went on Fox News after President Donald Trump said that he wanted the country to get back to business in weeks. Said Patrick: “No one reached out to me, and said, as a senior citizen, are you willing to take a chance on your survival in exchange for keeping the America that all America loves for your children and grandchildren? And if that is the exchange, I am all in. Let’s get back to work. Let’s get back to living. Let’s be smart about it,” Patrick said. “And those of us who are 70 plus, we’ll take care of ourselves. But don’t sacrifice the country.”

However on Tuesday, Patrick’s office released the following statement to clarify his position on when people should get back to work: “I was very clear last night that we should continue President Trump’s 15-day plan and if he believes we need more time, then we need more time. I trust his judgment. But at some point, sooner rather than later, we must get back to work before our nation totally collapses.”

“We can do two things at once — address the health care crisis and get people their jobs back — while following the CDC guidelines in a smart way. When you close the doors of every business in America, you cannot help but destroy the economy and with it, the opportunity for the next generation to live the American dream.”